We were beginning to think that Michelle Keegan was going to become best known for being the girlfriend of a former 'TOWIE' star after leaving 'Coronation Street' earlier this year, but that's not going to happen.
The 27-year-old actress has landed herself her first role since quitting the ITV soap in a major new BBC drama.
Michelle will play a car showroom receptionist in 'Ordinary Lies', which has been written by Bafta-winner Danny Brocklehurst, whose past TV hits have included 'The Street' and 'Shameless'.
Michelle Keegan
The six-parter will follow the everyday lives of a group of dodgy car salesmen at the northern showroom.
Michelle will star alongside a host of other well-known names including Sally Lindsay, Jason Manford, Mackenzie Crook, Max Beesley and Jo Joyner.
An insider told The Mirror: “The characters are likeable but they don’t always tell the truth. Some lies start off huge, others are tiny and grow.
“It shows what happens when the lies people tell to keep their heads above water spin out of control with sometimes tragic, sometimes funny consequences.”
Michelle - who is engaged to former 'TOWIE' star Mark Wright - was written out of 'Corrie' in May when her character, Rovers Return barmaid Tina McIntyre, was murdered.
Michelle with her fiancé, Mark Wright
She recently turned down the opportunity to stand in for Holly Willoughby, who is on maternity leave, as team captain on 'Celebrity Juice' because of her new acting role.
A source told The Sun: “Unfortunately, although Michelle said she loves the show, it clashed with another project that she has already signed up for this year.
“It’s a drama which she is very excited about, as she has always been keen to focus on acting after leaving 'Corrie'.”